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The wars in defence of Christianity waged by the dukes of Brabant

MOLANUS, Johannes (Jan VERMEULEN, van der MEULEN).
Militia Sacra Ducum et Principum Brabantiae. Adietae sunt ad huius historiae Illustrationem Annotationes M. Petri Louwij Sylvaeducensis.

With engraved title and two large folding genealogical trees.

Antwerp, Ex officina Plantiniana, the widow (of Chr. Plantin), & Joh. Moretus, (1592). 8vo. Contemporary vellum, rests of ties, red painted edges. With engraved title and two large folding genealogical trees. (40), 179, (5, incl. the often lacking last blank leaf) pp.

Rare first and only edition of this history of the wars undertaken by the Dukes of Brabant for religious causes, propagating and defending Christianity by Johannes Molanus, edited by Henricus Cuyckius.
Johannes Molanus or Jean Vermeulen (1533-1585) was an influential Counter Reformation Flemish Catholic theologian of Louvain University, where he was Professor of Theology, and Rector from 1578. From 1561 to 1563 he was headmaster at the Latin School in Duisburg. Born at Lille , he was a priest and canon of St. Peter's church in Louvain, where he died. Among many other subjects he wrote on the proper content of religious images, taking a very severe line in his De Picturis et Imaginibus Sacris, pro vero earum usu contra abusus (Treatise on Sacred Images) of 1570. He was lead editor of an edition of the works of Saint Augustine (Antwerp, Plantin, 1566-1577), and wrote a history of Louvain.
Of the fair number of works of ecclesiastical and historical interest, the present title is "un de plus curieux" (Hoefer). The fine title shows a battle scene at the top, a knight in armour on each side, and the Leo Belgicus battling two Turks below, with the motto "labore et constantia" above the imprint. The annotations by Pieter Lou(w) take up about a third of the book. Louw, born in 's-Hertogenbosch died in Roermond in 1599. In 1592 he became professor of Philosophy and canon of St. Peter's at Louvain. As a close friend of Henricus Cuyck, dean of St. Peter's and later bishop of Roermond he went to Roermond to become rector of the Latin School. He dedicated his notes to Molanus (pp. 137-179) to Cuyckius (pp. 135-6). These notes form the basis for Louw's Natales sanctorum Belgii Joan. Molani (Antwerp 1595).
Henricus Cuyckius was the editor of the present work. He dedicated the book to Nic. Damantius, Joh.,van Wingene, and others, dated Louvain 15 March 1592; also the approbation is signed by Cuyckius on the same date. The privilege is dated Brussels 18 April 1592.

Good copy from the library of the Jesuits at Courtray (Kortrijk): entry on title.

Belg. Typogr. 2146; STC (Dutch) 135; Adams M-1559; Machiels M-538; Graesse IV, 561; Hoefer 35, 240; Vogt, Cat. Libr. Rarior. p. 471; Biogr. Nat. de Belg. XV, pp. 48-50; NNBW VI, 965-6.

Related Subjects: Belgicana Brabant Education History Religion

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